Communication

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 2 April 2014, Official Report, column 719W, on public expenditure, what the sources are of the funding for communications.

Edward Vaizey: Pursuant to the answer of 2 April 2014, Official Report, column 719W, on public expenditure, the communications budget is solely exchequer funded.

Consultants

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much her Department has spent on consultancies in each year since 2010-11.

Helen Grant: DCMS has spent the following amounts on consultancy services since 2010-11:
	
		
			 Financial year Total (£) 
			 2010-11 342,587.25 
			 2011-12 2,278,558.25 
			 2012-13 4,344,787.11 
		
	
	Figures for 2013-14 are still being finalised as final accounts are now being drawn up.
	The increase over the three years is primarily the result of spend on The London 2012 Olympics and the Department's broadband programme.

Football: Homophobia

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department is taking to tackle homophobia in football; and if she will make a statement.

Helen Grant: DCMS and the FA take matters of discrimination very seriously. Following the 2012 Downing Street summit on racism in football, the FA are now delivering against a whole sport Inclusion and Anti-Discrimination Plan called “Football's for Everyone” to widen football's talent pool, clarify antidiscrimination regulations and sanctions, instil confidence in reporting discrimination and to increase understanding of equality and inclusion in football. I welcome this commitment, and their engagement with specific initiatives, such as “Football vs Homophobia”: any form of racism, anti-Semitism or homophobia is completely unacceptable.

Gambling Commission

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people the Gambling Commission has employed in each year since 2010; and how many people the Gambling Commission plans to employ in 2014-15. [R]

Helen Grant: The tables show the average number of people the Gambling Commission has employed in each year from 2010-11, until it merged with the National Lottery Commission on 1 October 2013 and the average number of people employed by the merged organisation in each period thereafter.
	
		
			 Average number of people employed at the Gambling Commission 
			  Number of employees 
			 2010-11 220 
			 2011-12 211 
			 2012-13 211 
			 1 April 2013 to 30 September 2013 211 
		
	
	
		
			 Projected average number of people employed at the Gambling Commission following merger with the National Lottery Commission 
			  Number 
			 1 October 2013 to 31 March 2014 246 
			 2014-15 282

Crown Prosecution Service

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how much the Crown Prosecution Service was required to pay in wasted cost orders in 2013-14.

Oliver Heald: The CPS maintains records of the overall value of costs payments made but does not distinguish between the various types of costs order available. To ascertain the types and value of individual costs awards made over the last five years would require a review of each case and this would incur disproportionate cost.
	The CPS central financial records indicate that the department was required to pay £772,129.54 in costs awards in 2013-14. It should be noted that the accounts for 2013-14 are not finalised and this figure will be subject to audit and adjustment. Finalised figures will be available at the end of May 2014.
	The value of total costs payments made in 2013-14, £772,000, represents about 0.13% of overall CPS expenditure.

Domestic Violence

Philip Davies: To ask the Attorney-General what assessment he has made of the (a) positive and (b) negative effects of serving a witness summons on a complainant in a court case involving alleged domestic violence.

Oliver Heald: I have made no formal appraisal, but Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) guidance to prosecutors sets out the circumstances in which witness summonses can best be used in such cases. This guidance is published on the CPS website at:
	http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/d_to_g/domestic_violence_aide-memoire/#a25
	Witness summonses can be effective in ensuring complainants attend court when they would not otherwise do so. They can also support victims who are concerned about how a voluntary decision to attend court might be perceived by 'removing' the pressure of making that decision for them. Where a victim attends as a result of a witness summons, there is often a guilty plea.
	However, it is also possible that a witness will still not attend, or may come to court but refuse to give evidence.

Malaysia

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met ministers of the government of Malaysia; and what issues were discussed at that meeting.

Hugo Swire: We maintain frequent ministerial contact with the Government of Malaysia. The Prime Minister most recently spoke with Prime Minister Najib on 18 March. The Prime Ministers also met in October 2013. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), met Foreign Minister Anifah in July 2013 and I visited Malaysia in June 2013 meeting several Ministers. In our contacts, we discuss a wide variety of issues, not least our growing economic relationship and regional security.

Bahrain

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of torture of prisoners detained in Bahrain.

Hugh Robertson: The British Government consistently and unreservedly condemns torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and it is a priority for us to combat it wherever and whenever it occurs. The UK continues to work closely with the Government of Bahrain to share best practice on torture prevention measures and provide forensic training to increase investigative techniques and reduce reliance on confessions to contribute towards preventing torture.

Gulf Cooperation Council

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the recent Gulf Cooperation Council Security Agreement; and if he will make a statement.

Hugh Robertson: I have not discussed the recent Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) Security Agreement with my international counterparts although I discuss other issues with the Gulf Co-operation Council regularly. The British Government shares the Gulf States' commitment to ensuring security and stability in the GCC and will continue to cooperate closely with our Gulf allies to help enhance their ability to respond to threats in line with international standards.

Iran

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made on efforts to reach a comprehensive agreement with Iran on its nuclear programme.

Hugh Robertson: E3+3 negotiations with Iran on a comprehensive agreement, which began in February, have so far been constructive and substantive, covering a range of issues, including enrichment, the Arak reactor, civil nuclear cooperation and sanctions relief. The Iranian negotiators have repeatedly stressed their commitment to reaching an agreement before the end of July. We, however, have no illusions about the challenge ahead in reaching an agreement which addresses our proliferation concerns.

Iran

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Iranian counterpart on strengthening UK-Iran diplomatic ties.

Hugh Robertson: We are ready to improve relations with Iran for the benefit of both countries on a step by step and reciprocal basis. The appointment of non-resident Chargés d'Affaires was an important step in this process and allows us to have direct discussions on a range of issues of importance. The UK and Iran agreed that as of 20 February we would no longer have formal Protecting Power arrangements in place. This is a sign of increasing confidence that we can conduct bilateral business directly between capitals, rather than through intermediaries. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), last discussed bilateral relations with Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif on 21 January.

Iraq

John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on accepting end-use certificates from the Kurdistan regional government in respect of military and dual-use goods being exported from the UK to Kurdistan; and if he will make a statement.

Hugh Robertson: The Government follows the requirements set out in UN Security Council Resolution 1546 when granting licenses for the export of military and dual-use goods from the UK to Iraq, including to the Kurdistan region.

Iraq

John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information his Department holds on which EU member states have accepted end-use certificates from the Kurdistan Regional Government in respect of military and dual-use goods being exported from their respective countries to Kurdistan.

Hugh Robertson: We do not hold any information on which EU member states accept end-user certificates from the Kurdistan Regional Government, or any other countries of final destination, in respect of military and dual-use goods.
	The British Government follows the requirements set out in UN Security Council Resolution 1546 when granting licenses for the export of military and dual-use goods from the UK to Iraq, including to the Kurdistan region.

Poland

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions his Department has had with the Polish government on the return of property stolen during World War Two to UK families and heirs of Holocaust victims.

David Lidington: The issue of property restitution was last raised with the Polish government in January 2014 during a visit to Poland by Sir Andrew Bums, Special Envoy for Post-Holocaust issues to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague). The Government attaches great importance to supporting the families tragically affected by the Holocaust-including on the issue of property restitution. Sir Andrew Burns will continue to fulfil his mandate to raise concerns such as compensation and redress with governments in countries including Poland, at every opportunity. We remain hopeful that the Polish Government will revive legislation and we will continue to encourage them to do so-including through our embassy in Warsaw.

Roads: Safety

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent promoting road safety in other countries in each of the last three years.

David Lidington: The promotion of road safety abroad has been covered in recent years as part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's 'Know Before You Go' travel safety campaign.
	As part of this we have undertaken a range of activities to deliver messaging on road safety and vehicular security to UK nationals travelling and living overseas. This includes a global campaign in 2012, the creation of two widely-used radio fillers, a short video on driving safely in Europe and targeted local initiatives undertaken in Portugal and France. Our records have identified costs associated with this activity of around £28,300 over the last three years.

Sri Lanka

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  whether any Minister of his Department is scheduled to meet President Rajapaska at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games;
	(2)  when the hon. Member for East Devon next plans to meet representatives of President Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka's (a) government and (b) political party.

William Hague: The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), has no current plans to meet representatives of Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa's Government or political party.

Venezuela

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's latest assessment is of the political and security situation in Venezuela.

William Hague: I remain deeply concerned about the situation in Venezuela and condemn all acts of violence. It is important that the Venezuelan Government respects the right to protest peacefully, ensures public security and due process is afforded in investigations.
	I welcome the visits of the commission of Foreign Ministers from the Union of South American Nations, who have met with President Maduro, opposition leaders and civil society representatives. I am aware, from my visit to the region in February, that governments in the region are keen to support broad and constructive dialogue.
	The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), has called for all sides to take steps to avoid confrontation and has written to the Venezuelan Government to stress the need for dialogue to take place and offered the UK's assistance in the reconciliation process. We are monitoring the situation closely, and keeping travel advice for British nationals under review.

Offensive Weapons

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many people aged (a) under 18 years old and (b) 18 years and over (i) were prosecuted and (ii) received a custodial sentence for the offence of threatening with article with blade or point or offensive weapon in each year since the offence's inception;
	(2)  how many people aged 18 years and over convicted of the offence of threatening with article with blade or point or offensive weapon have received a sentence of (a) under six months, (b) six months and (c) over six months in each year since that offence's inception; and if he will make a statement.
	(3)  how many individuals aged under 18 years convicted of the offence of threatening with an article with blade or point or offensive weapon received a sentence of (a) under four months, (b) four months and (c) over four months in each year since the offence's inception; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Wright: The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2013 introduced new offences of threatening with a knife or offensive weapon in a public place or school. These offences carry a mandatory minimum sentence of a four month Detention and Training Order for 16-17 year olds, and six months custody for adults.
	Since the new offences came into force on 3 December 2012, 88 adult convictions have resulted in an immediate custodial sentence, of which nine received a sentence for less than six months, 12 received exactly six months and 67 received a sentence for over six months.
	Since the new offences came into force on 3 December 2012, there have been 16 convictions against offenders aged 17 or under which resulted in an immediate custodial sentence. Of that number two resulted in a sentence of exactly four months and the remaining 14 over four months.
	The latest available figures on the number of offenders by age group who were convicted or received a custodial sentence for offences involving threatening with a knife or offensive weapon are available in table 9 of the Knife Possession Sentencing Quarterly Brief October-December 2013 which was published on 13 March 2014. The quarterly bulletin is available from the Ministry of Justice website at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/knife-possession-sentencing-quarterly
	The figures provided have been drawn from an extract of the Police National Computer (PNC) data held by the Department. The PNC holds details of all convictions and cautions given for recordable offences committed in England and Wales. In addition, as with any large scale recording system the PNC is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	Data on prosecutions for threatening with a bladed article or offensive weapon is due to be published for the first time in the Annual Criminal Justice Statistics in May 2014.
	This Government is clear that people who are convicted of threatening with a knife should go to prison. Sentencing in individual cases remains a matter for the courts and they may depart from the mandatory minimum custodial sentence if there are particular circumstances which would make it unjust to do so. Parliament has provided the courts with tough sentencing options and we continue to keep this under close scrutiny.

Sentencing

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have been given more than one life sentence on separate sentencing occasions in the last 10 years; and what the offences were for which they received those life sentences.

Jeremy Wright: A life sentence is mandatory for murder and discretionary life sentences are available to judges for other very serious offences. This Government has introduced an automatic life sentence for a second very serious violent or sexual offence.
	Under a life sentence, the court determines the minimum period to be served in prison for the purposes of punishment and deterrence. Once that period has been served it is for the Parole Board to determine if and when the offender may be released from prison on life licence and subject to recall for the rest of their life.
	Table 1 shows the number of offenders who have been sentenced to life in the 12 months ending September 2013 who previously had one or more previous life sentence on a separate sentencing occasion within the last 10 years, in England and Wales. The table also shows details of their latest and previous offences for which they received a life sentence.
	The number of offenders who receive a second life sentence is small. A number of life sentence prisoners commit offences in prison which result in a second life sentence. Some life sentence prisoners can also receive a second life sentence on conviction for offences committed prior to being imprisoned (e.g. a previous murder or rape). Only one of the offenders shown in Table 1 had been released from prison on life licence when he committed a further offence which resulted in a second life sentence.
	The figures provided have been drawn from an extract of the Police National Computer (PNC) data held by the Department. The PNC holds details of all convictions and cautions given for recordable offences committed in England and Wales. In addition, as with any large scale recording system the PNC is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of offenders1 with one or more previous2, 3 life sentence within the last 10 years with offence details of the most recent and previous offences 
			 Year Offence at the most sentencing occasion where a life sentence was given Offence at previous sentencing occasion where a life sentence was given Number of offenders1 with one or more previous life sentencing occasion within the last 10 years 
			 2013 Common law murder of persons aged one year or over Common law murder of persons aged one year or over 1 
			  Common law attempted murder Common law attempted murder 1 
			  Theft Act 1968 section 8 robbery Firearms Act 1968 section 18(1) (Group 1). Possessing firearm or imitation firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence or resist arrest 1 
			  Common law attempted murder Common law murder of persons aged one year or over 1 
			  Offences against the Person Act 1861. Section l8. Wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm Offences against the Person Act 1861. Section 18. Wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm 1 
			  Common law attempted murder Common law attempted murder 1 
			 Total   6 
			 1 Figures are based on counting the number of sentencing occasions (where a life sentence was given) for offences committed by offenders which were prosecuted by police forces in England and Wales including the British Transport police. Offenders who have been convicted on more than one occasion during the year will be represented several times. 2 Figures are based on counting the number of occasions on which offenders have previously received a life sentence for any offences recorded on the Police National Computer, including some offences committed outside of England and Wales. Where an offender was convicted of more than one offence at a single court hearing, only one conviction is counted. 3 The number of offenders with a previous sentencing occasion could include cases where the offender is serving the two sentences concurrently, so was not released from prison. Note: All data have been taken from the MOJ extract of the Police National Computer. This includes details of all convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings given for recordable offences (see www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2000/1139/schedule/made for definition). It is therefore possible that some offenders presented in the table above have previously also received convictions for offences not recorded on the PNC. Source: Ministry of Justice, Police National Computer (PNC).

Sentencing: West Yorkshire

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average custodial sentence was for people of each gender sentenced in the West Yorkshire Police Force area to immediate custody for (a) summary only offences, (b) either way offences and (c) indictable only offences; and for which offences such people were sentenced.

Jeremy Wright: The sentencing framework and sentencing guidelines apply equally to all offenders. Sentencing is entirely a matter for the courts, taking account of all the circumstances of each case. This will include all aggravating and mitigating factors, the criminal history of the offender and a guilty plea.
	Defendants are now more likely to be convicted for committing crime and sent to prison for longer than they were a decade ago. In addition criminals convicted since 2010 are more likely to receive an immediate custodial sentence, both overall and for a first time offence.
	Offenders sentenced at all courts, by gender, class type, offence type in West Yorkshire police force area from 2008 to 2012 (latest available) can be viewed in the table. In many cases the numbers are too small for the average custodial sentence length to be meaningful.
	Court proceedings data for 2013 are planned for publication in May 2014.
	
		
			 Offenders sentenced at all courts, by gender, class type, offence type, in West Yorkshire police force area1, 2 
			 Gender Year Class type Offence type Sentenced Immediate custody Average custodial sentence length (months)3 
			 Males 2008 Indictable offences Violence against the person 192 166 51.2 
			    Sexual offences 95 76 80.34 
			    Burglary 54 35 24.7 
			    Robbery 423 284 36.57 
			    Fraud and forgery 63 27 19.24 
			    Criminal damage 14 9 34.75 
			    Other indictable 94 56 29.7 
			    Total (All) 935 653 41.89 
			        
			   Triable either way Violence against the person 1,328 382 13.05 
			    Sexual offences 140 70 24.67 
			    Burglary 1,321 515 17.72 
			    Theft and handling stolen goods 4,538 838 4.41 
			    Fraud and forgery 402 52 10.14 
			    Criminal damage 292 31 5.83 
			    Drug offences 1,797 436 34.14 
		
	
	
		
			    Other indictable 1,809 289 7.6 
			    Indictable motoring 190 85 11.28 
			    Total (All) 11,817 2,698 14.17 
			        
			   Summary non motoring offences Summary offences (excluding motoring) 11,499 538 2.8 
			    Total (All) 11,499 538 2.8 
			        
			   Summary motoring Summary motoring offences 22,946 255 3.26 
			    Total (All) 22,946 255 3.26 
			        
			  2009 Indictable offences Violence against the person 169 156 49.56 
			    Sexual offences 97 86 69.2 
			    Burglary 77 57 38.98 
			    Robbery 427 272 36.75 
			    Fraud and forgery 47 33 24.64 
			    Criminal damage 21 16 33.69 
			    Other indictable 104 60 30.96 
			    Total (All) 942 680 42.19 
			        
			   Triable either way Violence against the person 1,464 423 12.97 
			    Sexual offences 115 38 25.64 
			    Burglary 1,212 516 18.56 
			    Theft and handling stolen goods 3,997 632 5.66 
			    Fraud and forgery 409 50 10.95 
			    Criminal damage 246 16 13.7 
			    Drug offences 1,927 465 33.66 
			    Other indictable 2,180 408 7.23 
			    Indictable motoring 237 96 10.25 
			    Total (All) 11,787 2,644 15.11 
			        
			   Summary non motoring offences Summary offences (excluding motoring) 11,148 454 2.73 
			    Total (All) 11,148 454 2.73 
			        
			   Summary motoring Summary motoring offences 22,697 186 3.25 
			    Total (All) 22,697 186 3.25 
			        
			  2010 Indictable offences Violence against the person 203 182 51.16 
			    Sexual offences 84 77 75.19 
			    Burglary 59 39 39.21 
			    Robbery 424 258 35.77 
			    Fraud and forgery 43 28 17.6 
			    Criminal damage 22 13 38.4 
			    Other indictable 104 65 46.42 
			    Total (All) 939 662 44.09 
			        
			   Triable either way Violence against the person 1,618 446 12.23 
			    Sexual offences 151 62 24.71 
			    Burglary 1,302 553 18 
			    Theft and handling stolen goods 4,188 731 5.24 
			    Fraud and forgery 395 67 16.37 
		
	
	
		
			    Criminal damage 262 28 12.28 
			    Drug offences 2,189 510 30.96 
			    Other indictable 2,731 471 7.47 
			    Indictable motoring 225 86 11.04 
			    Total (All) 13,061 2,954 14.35 
			        
			   Summary non motoring offences Summary offences (excluding motoring) 11,014 465 2.82 
			    Total (All) 11,014 465 2.82 
			        
			   Summary motoring Summary motoring offences 19,439 132 3.08 
			    Total (All) 19,439 132 3.08 
			        
			  2011 Indictable offences Violence against the person 157 142 68.69 
			    Sexual offences 95 84 87.13 
			    Burglary 51 41 36.59 
			    Robbery 421 262 34.93 
			    Fraud and forgery 64 40 21.38 
			    Criminal damage 12 7 47 
			    Other indictable 71 40 21.99 
			    Total (All) 871 616 46.55 
			        
			   Triable either way Violence against the person 1,525 451 13.02 
			    Sexual offences 144 57 29.65 
			    Burglary 1,340 653 19.36 
			    Theft and handling stolen goods 3,871 762 5.23 
			    Fraud and forgery 429 90 13.7 
			    Criminal damage 213 28 14.25 
			    Drug offences 2,156 491 33.99 
			    Other indictable 2,285 417 9.23 
			    Indictable motoring 197 70 11.13 
			    Total (All) 12,160 3,019 15.59 
			        
			   Summary non motoring offences Summary offences (excluding motoring) 9,354 520 2.65 
			    Total (All) 9,354 520 2.65 
			        
			   Summary motoring Summary motoring offences 15,565 141 3.33 
			    Total (All) 15,565 141 3.33 
			        
			  2012 Indictable offences Violence against the person 129 119 70.34 
			    Sexual offences 80 73 81.97 
			    Burglary 42 39 54.41 
			    Robbery 370 261 39.2 
			    Fraud and forgery 25 17 28.18 
			    Criminal damage 18 14 36.17 
			    Other indictable 93 52 20.44 
			    Total (ALL) 757 575 48.71 
			        
			   Triable either way Violence against the person 1,369 424 12.06 
			    Sexual offences 141 66 26.43 
			    Burglary 1,049 503 19.82 
		
	
	
		
			    Theft and handling stolen goods 3,581 735 5.18 
			    Fraud and forgery 360 74 13.31 
			    Criminal damage 177 16 12.36 
			    Drug offences 2,033 442 30.39 
			    Other indictable 2,079 370 8.57 
			    Indictable motoring 182 68 10.3 
			    Total (All) 10,971 2,698 14.48 
			        
			   Summary non motoring offences Summary offences (excluding motoring) 8,624 438 2.85 
			    Total (All) 8,624 438 2.85 
			        
			   Summary motoring Summary motoring offences 15,253 103 3.04 
			    Total (All) 15,253 103 3.04 
			        
			        
			 Females 2008 Indictable offences Violence against the person 19 17 39.86 
			    Burglary 2 — — 
			    Robbery 60 20 35.37 
			    Fraud and forgery 13 8 12.88 
			    Criminal damage 9 3 24 
			    Other indictable 12 5 6.8 
			    Total (All) 115 53 29.48 
			        
			   Triable either way Violence against the person 214 28 13.29 
			    Sexual offences 5 1 9 
			    Burglary 59 10 11.29 
			    Theft and handling stolen goods 1,225 129 3.38 
			    Fraud and forgery 183 8 8.21 
			    Criminal damage 23 3 5.6 
			    Drug offences 172 19 23.16 
			    Other indictable 229 21 0.97 
			    Indictable motoring 5 — — 
			    Total (All) 2,115 219 6.73 
			        
			   Summary non motoring offences Summary offences (excluding motoring) 6,191 44 2.8 
			    Total (All) 6,191 44 2.8 
			        
			   Summary motoring Summary motoring offences 3,534 8 2.48 
			    Total (All) 3,534 8 2.48 
			        
			  2009 Indictable offences Violence against the person 17 14 43.58 
			    Sexual offences 1 — — 
			    Burglary 2 2 21 
			    Robbery 42 11 21.64 
			    Fraud and forgery 9 2 10 
			    Criminal damage 10 4 28.5 
			    Other indictable 22 6 19 
			    Total (All) 103 39 28.41 
			        
			   Triable either way Violence against the person 221 28 12.79 
			    Sexual offences 2 1 6 
		
	
	
		
			    Burglary 47 7 17.17 
			    Theft and handling stolen goods 1,190 97 3.22 
			    Fraud and forgery 253 18 9.88 
			    Criminal damage 36 — — 
			    Drug offences 166 21 28.01 
			    Other indictable 262 24 5.98 
			    Indictable motoring 4 — — 
			    Total (All) 2,181 196 8.7 
			        
			   Summary non motoring offences Summary offences (excluding motoring) 6,513 36 2.1 
			    Total (All) 6,513 36 2.1 
			        
			   Summary motoring Summary motoring offences 4,001 3 1.48 
			    Total (All) 4,001 3 1.48 
			        
			  2010 Indictable offences Violence against the person 13 12 32.92 
			    Burglary 1 1 24 
			    Robbery 40 19 27.74 
			    Fraud and forgery 12 3 20 
			    Criminal damage 7 4 39 
			    Other indictable 9 1 36 
			    Total (All) 82 40 29.95 
			        
			   Triable either way Violence against the person 252 17 13.85 
			    Sexual offences 5 1 12 
			    Burglary 44 7 6.38 
			    Theft and handling stolen goods 1,116 100 4.05 
			    Fraud and forgery 204 15 21.5 
			    Criminal damage 36 4 1.58 
			    Drug offences 212 29 19.31 
			    Other indictable 355 32 4.53 
			    Indictable motoring 6 1 14 
			    Total (All) 2,230 206 8.47 
			        
			   Summary non motoring offences Summary offences (excluding motoring) 6,715 27 2.33 
			    Total (All) 6,715 27 2.33 
			        
			   Summary motoring Summary motoring offences 3,753 — — 
			    Total (All) 3,753 — — 
			        
			  2011 Indictable offences Violence against the person 11 7 43.43 
			    Sexual offences — — — 
			    Burglary 1 — — 
			    Robbery 44 20 29.65 
			    Fraud and forgery 6 1 24 
			    Criminal damage 5 1 32 
			    Other indictable 26 7 15.48 
			    Total (All) 93 36 29.88 
			        
			   Triable either way Violence against the person 210 27 8.67 
			    Sexual offences 3 — — 
		
	
	
		
			    Burglary 55 25 16.54 
			    Theft and handling stolen goods 945 99 5.13 
			    Fraud and forgery 189 19 7.65 
			    Criminal damage 29 2 1.47 
			    Drug offences 148 15 26.49 
			    Other indictable 281 37 2.69 
			    Indictable motoring 9 — — 
			    Total (All) 1,869 224 8.04 
			        
			   Summary non motoring offences Summary offences (excluding motoring) 6,166 22 2.27 
			    Total (All) 6,166 22 2.27 
			        
			   Summary motoring Summary motoring offences 2,974 2 2.8 
			    Total (All) 2,974 2 2.8 
			        
			  2012 Indictable offences Violence against the person 11 10 55.33 
			    Sexual offences 1 1 28 
			    Burglary — — — 
			    Robbery 42 21 28.43 
			    Fraud and forgery 5 1 18 
			    Criminal damage 10 6 33.67 
			    Other indictable 30 11 18.91 
			    Total (All) 99 50 31.65 
			        
			   Triable either way Violence against the person 169 16 7.14 
			    Sexual offences 2 1 24 
			    Burglary 40 14 19.93 
			    Theft and handling stolen goods 849 114 4.1 
			    Fraud and forgery 135 13 8.66 
			    Criminal damage 23 2 1.63 
			    Drug offences 158 9 21.44 
			    Other indictable 217 24 4.11 
			    Indictable motoring 4 — — 
			    Total (All) 1,597 193 6.7 
			        
			   Summary non motoring offences Summary offences (excluding motoring) 6,490 25 3.04 
			    Total (All) 6,490 25 3.04 
			        
			   Summary motoring Summary motoring offences 3,319 2 3.5 
			    Total (All) 3,319 2 3.5 
			 ‘—‘ = Nil 1 The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. 2 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 3 Excludes life and indeterminate sentences. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice.

DSG Ashchurch

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 27 March 2014, Official Report, column 317W, on armed forces: vehicles, if he will confirm whether any Ministers in his Department have visited Defence Infrastructure Organisation Ashchurch since 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Dunne: There have been two ministerial visits to Ashchurch since May 2010, both made by the Minister for Defence Equipment Support and Technology who held office at the time. My hon. Friend the Member for Mid Worcestershire (Sir Peter Luff) visited the site in February 2011. More recently, I made a similar visit in June 2013, meeting officials and employees of the units based on the site, including those of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation where I also had a meeting with trade union representatives.

Air Pollution

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the effect of air pollution on those people living with (a) heart disease and (b) lung disease.

Jane Ellison: It is known that, when levels of air pollutants rise, adults suffering from heart conditions, and adults and children with lung conditions, are at increased risk of becoming ill and needing treatment. Only a minority of those who suffer from these conditions are likely to be affected and it is not possible to predict in advance who will be affected. Some people are aware that air pollution affects their health: adults and children with asthma may notice that they need to increase their use of inhaled reliever medication on days when levels of air pollution are higher than average1.
	1 Committee on the Medical Effects of Air pollutants (2011) Review of the UK Air Quality Index
	http://www.comeap.org.uk/documents/reports

Food: Testing

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which local authorities did not report any food standards sampling in 2012-13 via the Local Authority Enforcement Monitoring System, excluding those that took no samples at all; how many samples each local authority took; how many were submitted to the local authority's appointed public analyst; how many of those submitted to the public analyst were taken as part of a Food Standards Agency-funded project; and how many were paid for by the local authority; and how those figures compare to the equivalent figures for 2011-12.

Jane Ellison: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) advises that the following local authorities did not report any food standards sampling in 2012-13 via the Local Authority Enforcement Monitoring System (LAEMS):
	Armagh
	Birmingham
	Blackburn
	City of London
	Leicester City
	Rochdale
	Rutland
	South Lanarkshire
	Swindon
	All of these authorities reported microbiological samples via LAEMS in 2012-13 and/or reported food standards sampling through a separate FSA-funded project.
	A table has been placed in the Library which shows how many food standards samples each local authority reported via LAEMS in 2012-13, together with a comparison against the number reported in 2011-12 and how many food standards samples each local authority reported through a FSA-funded project.
	All of the reported food standards samples were official samples and would have been submitted to the local authority's appointed Public Analyst for analysis. Out of 22,055 food standards samples in 2012-13, 4,387 were funded by the FSA, all other food standards samples would have been paid for by the local authority. By comparison, in 2011-12, the FSA funded 5,072 out of 21,970 food standards samples.
	For some local authorities, the FSA funded sampling figure is larger than the number included in the LAEMS report. The difference will be due to the LAEMS reports only including samples for which the analytical result was received from the Public Analyst before 31 March 2013.

Motor Neurone Disease

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in (a) Brigg and Goole constituency, (b) Yorkshire and Humber and (c) the UK have motor neurone disease; and how much his Department has spent on tackling that disease in each such area in the last three years.

Norman Lamb: Data on the number of people affected by motor neurone disease (MND) are not collected. However, it is estimated that there are about 5,000 people living with MND in the United Kingdom. On funding, while programme budgeting data provides figures for annual national health service spend on neurological services in England, spend on individual neurological conditions, such as MND, is not available as part of this.

World War I: Anniversaries

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what meetings her Department has had with the government of the Republic of Ireland about First World War commemorations.

Theresa Villiers: Ministers and officials from the Northern Ireland Office have been in regular contact with the Irish Government about our approach to the first world war centenary, particularly over the course of the last year. This includes planning for joint ministerial attendance at a number of events which will take place in Belfast, Dublin and France over the course of the coming months,
	These contacts have included discussions on how both Governments can work together to mark the wider decade of commemorations in Ireland in a manner which promotes reconciliation and contributes to a peaceful, shared future.
	I recently joined the Irish Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to lay the foundation stone for a Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cross of Sacrifice at Glasnevin in Dublin to commemorate men from the island of Ireland who gave their lives in both world wars.

New Businesses: Government Assistance

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent steps he has taken to support part-time entrepreneurs; and if he will make a statement.

Matthew Hancock: People are setting up and growing different types of businesses all the time. We continue to work hard to provide the right support to make life easier for them all.
	The home for Government services and information online is:
	www.gov.uk
	One of the tools available is the 'Finance Finder;' a searchable database of publicly-backed sources of finance. The website:
	www.greatbusiness.gov.uk
	also provides support and advice for anyone trying to grow a business as well as for entrepreneurs starting out.
	In addition to on-line support, the Business Support Helpline is available to provide a quick response on queries about starting a business, or a personalised and in-depth advice service for more complex needs. For those looking for start up finance and advice there are Start-Up Loans: Seven loans worth a total of £37,000 have been drawn down in Windsor since the scheme began in 2012.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the answer of 24 February 2014, Official Report, column 19W, on the electoral register, what measures the Electoral Commission agreed following its meetings with the Department for Work and Pensions, Cabinet Office and other departments on co-operation in electoral registration.

Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that it has highlighted the previous question to the Cabinet Office and suggested that they should discuss the issues referred to in it with the Department for Work and Pensions and are currently awaiting a response.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the answer of 24 February 2014, Official Report, column 19W, on the electoral register, with which civic society organisations the Electoral Commission is proactively seeking partnerships for the purpose of increasing electoral registration.

Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that it is in the process of contacting a range of organisations, including civic society organisations, and will write to the honourable member once this is complete with the list of organisations that have signed up.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the answer of 24 February 2014, Official Report, column 20W, on the electoral register, if the Electoral Commission will make a copy of its evaluation of the effectiveness of electoral registration grants available online; and if he will inform the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee once this action is complete.

Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs that it will arrange for the document to be put on their website and will inform the hon. Member and the Political and Constitutional Committee Clerk when this has happened.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the answer of 22 January 2013, Official Report, columns 131-3W, on the electoral register, what assessment the Electoral Commission has made of the reasons for the increase from 8 to 58 in the number of electoral registration officers who failed performance standard 3 between 2010 and 2011.

Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that it has previously corresponded with the hon. Member on this issue.
	Within that correspondence the Electoral Commission set out that following its 2010 report assessing the performance of Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) it became aware of anecdotal evidence suggesting that for various reasons, including local authority budget reductions, there may have been a greater number of EROs who were not meeting performance standard 3. Therefore, in addition to the 2011 performance standard return, the Commission asked all EROs for the first time to confirm specifically whether or not they carried out a personal canvass of all non-responders and, if not, to provide an explanation as to the reasons why.
	The Commission subsequently requested further data from EROs who had not confirmed that they carried out a personal canvass of all non-responders in order to make a better-informed assessment of performance against performance standard 3. This data included the number of non-responding households that were not contacted by a personal canvasser or by any other method (not including forms and reminders); how many of these households had entries confirmed by other records; and how many of those households had entries that could not be confirmed and were removed.
	Following this process, the Commission revised the assessments of 51 EROs to 'below' the standard. This meant that, including the seven EROs who originally reported that they did not meet the standard, there were 58 EROs who did not meet this standard in 2011.

Carnforth Station

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent reports he has received on the removal of the Carnforth station platforms from the mainline; what steps he is taking towards their reinstatement; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Hammond: The Government has no plans to reinstate platforms on the west coast main line and has not asked for or received any official reports on their reinstatement or removal in the 1960s. It would be for Lancashire county council to determine whether such a scheme is a local priority and this is not the case at the present time.

Rescue Services: Belfast

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre, Belfast, was staffed at below risk-assessed levels in March 2014.

Stephen Hammond: During March 2014 Belfast Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) was staffed below risk assessed levels on eight occasions out of 62 shifts.
	Where there are specific issues at a MRCC Her Majesty's Coastguard is using the current long established pairing arrangements between MRCCs. This enables each MRCC to be connected to at least one other MRCC which is available to provide mutual support.

Rescue Services: Liverpool

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre, Liverpool, was staffed at below risk-assessed levels in March 2014.

Stephen Hammond: During March 2014 Liverpool Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) was staffed below risk assessed levels on eight occasions out of 62 shifts.
	Where there are specific issues at a MRCC Her Majesty's Coastguard is using the current long established pairing arrangements between MRCCs. This enables each MRCC to be connected to at least one other MRCC which is available to provide mutual support.

Rescue Services: Stornoway

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre, Stornaway, was staffed at below risk-assessed levels in March 2014.

Stephen Hammond: During March 2014 Stornoway Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) was staffed below risk assessed levels on six occasions out of 62 shifts.
	Where there are specific issues at a MRCC Her Majesty's Coastguard is using the current long established pairing arrangements between MRCCs. This enables each MRCC to be connected to at least one other MRCC which is available to provide mutual support.

Southeastern

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 1 April 2014, Official Report, column 591W, on Southeastern network, what estimate he has made of demand on routes on the Southeastern network; which routes his Department believes require increased capacity provision on peak services; and when he expects capacity to be increased on these routes.

Stephen Hammond: The Department holds information collected by Southeastern about the level of demand on each of its routes. However, this data is held by DfT on a commercially confidential basis and so cannot be released. As part of its Long Term Planning Process, Network Rail will undertake a Kent Route Study during 2015-16 to identify which routes may require increased capacity provision. On the basis of this work, Ministers will consider priorities for funding capacity enhancements during railway Control Period 6 (2019-2024).

Driving: Licensing

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 27 March 2014, Official Report, column 372W, on driving: licensing, how many drivers who received driving convictions within their two year probation period undertook speed awareness courses in each year since 2010.

Karen Bradley: The number of drivers that opted for a National Driver Offender Retraining Scheme (NDORS) speed awareness course rather than accept penalty points on their driving licence in 2010 is 447,833, in 2011 is 772,180, 2012 is 926,155 and in 2013 is 953,464. These reflect the latest updated figures.
	The offer of a speed awareness course is at the discretion of the police. To be deemed eligible there must be no excessive speed or other offences committed at the same time. Information on previous motoring convictions is not taken into account.
	The Department for Transport and the police are in advanced stages of commissioning a long term study to assess the effectiveness of speed awareness courses.

Speed Limits

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of speed awareness courses; and what information her Department collects on speeding and driving offences committed by drivers who have undertaken such a course.

Karen Bradley: The number of drivers that opted for a National Driver Offender Retraining Scheme (NDORS) speed awareness course rather than accept penalty points on their driving licence in 2010 is 447,833, in 2011 is 772,180, 2012 is 926,155 and in 2013 is 953,464. These reflect the latest updated figures.
	The offer of a speed awareness course is at the discretion of the police. To be deemed eligible there must be no excessive speed or other offences committed at the same time. Information on previous motoring convictions is not taken into account.
	The Department for Transport and the police are in advanced stages of commissioning a long term study to assess the effectiveness of speed awareness courses.

Combined Heat and Power

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of combined heat and power plans delivering more than 10 per cent of input energy as heat output.

Gregory Barker: In 2013, the Government reviewed the minimum performance standards for renewable combined heat and power (CHP) set in our Quality Assurance programme. As set out in the Government response, approximately 70% of solid and liquid renewable fuel CHP schemes already certified to Combined Heat and Power Quality and Assurance (CHPQA) deliver more than 10% of their input energy as useful heat output.
	No similar assessment has been made for fossil fuel CHPs.

Energy Supply

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what forecast he has made of the effect of the Supplemental Balancing Reserve on the Loss of Load Expectation for winter 2014-15.

Gregory Barker: The Government has not made any forecast of the effect of the Supplemental Balancing Reserve (SBR) on the Loss of Load Expectation for winter 2014-15.
	SBR is one of National Grid's two new balancing services, approved by Ofgem in December 2013. SBR and the Demand Side Balancing Reserve (DSBR) will address potential capacity shortfalls in the middle of the decade.
	National Grid is currently developing a methodology to determine how much capacity should be contracted via SBR. Once this is approved by Ofgem, National Grid will proceed with the procurement process.

London Academy of Excellence

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 13 January 2014, Official Report, column 356W, on London Academy of Excellence, whether the enrolment data for 2013-14 for the London Academy of Excellence is now available; and if he will publish that data.

Edward Timpson: The London Academy of Excellence is the only 16-19 free school that provides data on its pupil numbers through the individualised learner record; this is the equivalent to the school's census return for further education institutions.
	The enrolment numbers requested are not yet available. We are expecting to have them by the end of April.
	The pupil numbers and funding covering all open academies and free schools for the academic year 2014/15 will be published in October. This will include the London Academy of Excellence.

Biodiversity

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the Government's response to the Government's Environmental Audit Committee's Report HC 1195 published on 26 March 2014, what the forecasted costs and savings are under each cost heading for planning authorities of implementing the biodiversity offsetting proposals over a five year period.

Dan Rogerson: The consultation paper “Biodiversity Offsetting in England”, published on 5 September 2013, set out a number of options for taking forward offsetting in England. The accompanying impact assessment (DEFRA 1126) set out the available financial information. However, the costs and benefits to each sector would vary according to the system of offsetting which was adopted. In keeping with the Environmental Audit Committee's recommendations, the Government will not take any policy decisions on offsetting until the assessment of the six pilots is available.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations he has received regarding the need for a vaccine for bovine TB; and if he will make a statement.

George Eustice: We have received representations on all aspects of tackling Bovine TB, including vaccination for cattle and badgers, from a very wide range of stakeholders. The role that cattle and badger vaccination can play in eradicating Bovine TB is outlined in our comprehensive Strategy for achieving Officially Bovine Tuberculosis Free status for England.

Dogs: Diseases

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many instances of Alabama Rot there have been in dogs in the UK.

George Eustice: Alabama Rot is the name commonly being given to the newly emerged condition in dogs, known by its clinical and pathological description as ‘Cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy’.
	Whilst this new condition, which appears seasonally, seems very similar to Alabama Rot, we do not know that they have the same cause.
	Investigation into this condition is being led by vets at a referral small animal veterinary practice and at the world renowned research organisation, the Animal Health Trust. These vets have expertise specifically in small animal medical cases. As such the veterinary practice, Anderson Moore, is best placed to update on the number of confirmed and suspect cases. The practice informed Animal Health Veterinary Laboratories Agency on the 27 March that 14 cases have been confirmed between December 2013 and March 2014. This is in addition to 14 cases confirmed between December 2012 and March 2013.

Fracking

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much of the Environment Agency's budget he proposes will be spent on its role as the regulator for fracking in England and Wales in (a) 2014-15, (b) 2015-16 and (c) 2016-17.

Dan Rogerson: The Environment Agency does not record separately the regulatory costs of hydraulic fracturing in England, For 2014-15 the Environment Agency has allocated £2.6 million to its work on regulating onshore oil and gas. This is 0.39% of the Environment Agency's total revenue budget.
	Budgets for 2015-16 and 2016-17 have not yet been confirmed.

Pathology: Laboratories

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the Royal College of Pathologists on the effects on human and animal safety of reductions in the number of national pathology laboratories from 14 to 7; and if he will publish the impact assessment produced by his Department on such a plan.

George Eustice: Animal Health Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) and DEFRA have met with the Royal College of Pathologists, to discuss the new Surveillance model, on four separate occasions between September 2012 and the introduction of changes to the Surveillance model on 1 April 2014.
	A formal impact assessment was not required for this work because it does not involve a change in regulation. Submission into the scanning surveillance system is a voluntary activity that has no regulatory aspect. However the 'Changes to the delivery of Veterinary Scanning Surveillance in England and Wales, December 2013' document published on the AHVLA website does consider the impact of the changes, recognises that there are negative impacts (e.g. some farms will be further from an AHVLA Post Mortem facility) but concludes that these are outweighed by the benefit of having stronger national centres of excellence and a better coordinated network of support from private practices.

Slaughterhouses

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will review the reporting of the mis-stunning of animals before slaughter by the Food Standards Agency to ensure that the way in which the data is collected provides as accurate a picture as possible of the real situation.

George Eustice: Official veterinarians of the Food Standards Agency report centrally all cases of non-compliances with the welfare at slaughter regulations. This data provides an accurate picture of welfare breaches at slaughterhouses.
	The welfare at time of killing regulations will come into force next month and we will keep the effectiveness of monitoring and enforcement at slaughterhouses under review.

Housing Benefit

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which categories of people defined as vulnerable in relation to facilitating housing benefit payments direct to landlords under universal credit.

Steve Webb: We do not want to label categories of claimants as financially incapable. The guidance for alternative payment arrangements, published last year, lists a number of elements which should be considered. These factors are assessed on a case-by-case basis to inform a decision as to whether an alternative payment arrangement is needed and if so for what period.

Industrial Health and Safety

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what evidence his Department has collected on public perception of health and safety regulation.

Michael Penning: Reviews of health and safety regulation carried out for the Government by Lord Young and by Professor Ragnar Löfstedt, and endorsed in HSE's recent triennial review, found a near universal agreement that the UK legal framework is fit for purpose. However, there does exist some misunderstanding about what H&S legislation actually requires.
	Partly in response to this, the Health and Safety Executive's Myth Busters Challenge Panel allows the public to challenge decisions and policies ascribed to health and safety if they believe them to be incorrect.
	To date the panel has considered over 270 cases. Details can be found at
	http://www.hse.gov.uk/myth/index.htm

Internet

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what costs his Department has incurred in the development, promotion, monitoring and evaluation of the Sorting Out Separation web app to date; and what budget his Department assigned for the future promotion, updating, monitoring and redesign of that web app.

Steve Webb: The costs of the Sorting out Separation web app are £417,500 to date. This includes initial build, maintenance and development, hosting and promotion. It also includes the costs of the development of the diagnosis tool and the videos hosted on Sorting out Separation.
	The Department is in the process of considering the future direction of the Sorting out Separation web app and will shortly be taking steps to improve the profile of the app through search engine optimisation.

Jobcentre Plus: Scotland

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions where each Jobcentre Plus office is in Scotland; when each office opened; and how many people have used each such office in each year since 2010.

Esther McVey: There are 94 jobcentres in Scotland. A full list of these jobcentres is provided at annex 1.
	We do not keep a record of when each office opened, so I am unable to supply you with this information.
	There are no official statistics kept which would provide you with the number of people who have used each office in each year since 2010. Many people, some of whom are already employed, use the jobpoints or intranet access devices in our jobcentres but may not make a claim to benefit or register unemployed. It would therefore be impossible to provide you with the total number of people using the jobcentres.
	Annex 1
	List of jobcentres in Scotland
	East and South East Scotland
	Alloa JC
	Bathgate JC
	Broxburn JC
	Cowdenbeath JC
	Cupar JC
	Dalkeith JC
	Dunfermline JC
	Edinburgh City
	Eyemouth JC
	Falkirk JC
	Galashiels JC
	Glenrothes JC
	Grangemouth JC
	Hawick JC
	High Riggs JC
	Kirkcaldy JC
	Leith JC
	Leven JC
	Livingston JC
	Musselburgh JC
	Penicuik JC
	St Andrews
	Stirling JC
	Westerhailes JC.
	Glasgow, Lanarkshire and East Dunbartonshire
	Airdrie JC
	Anniesland JC
	Bellshill JC
	Bridgeton JC
	Cambuslang JC
	Castlemilk JC
	Cumbernauld JC
	Drumchapel JC
	East Kilbride JC
	Easterhouse JC
	Govan JC
	Hamilton JC
	Kirkintilloch JC
	Lanark JC
	Langside JC
	Laurieston JC
	Maryhill JC
	Motherwell JC
	Newlands JC
	Parkhead JC
	Partick JC
	Rutherglen JC
	Shettleston JC
	Springburn JC.
	North of Scotland District
	Aberdeen JC
	Arbroath JC
	Banff JC
	Blairgowrie JC
	Buckie JC
	Dingwall JC
	Dundee City JC
	Elgin JC
	Forfar JC
	Forres JC
	Fort William JC
	Fraserburgh JC
	Invergordon JC
	Inverness JC
	Kirkwall JC
	Lerwick JC
	Montrose JC
	Perth JC
	Peterhead JC
	Portree JC
	Stornoway JC
	Wick JC.
	West of Scotland District
	Alexandria JC
	Annan JC
	Ayr JC
	Barrhead JC
	Campbeltown JC
	Clydebank JC
	Cumnock JC
	Dumbarton JC
	Dumfries JC
	Dunoon JC
	Girvan JC
	Greenock JC
	Helensburgh JC
	Irvine JC
	Johnstone JC
	Kilbirnie JC
	Kilmarnock JC
	Oban JC
	Paisley JC
	Port Glasgow JC
	Renfrew JC
	Rothesay JC
	Saltcoats JC
	Stranraer JC.

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in receipt of jobseeker's allowance were sanctioned for failing to complete their job search evidence form for the week of 25 December 2013 to 1 January 2014.

Esther McVey: Published data on sanctions is currently available up to 30th September 2013, with the next scheduled release in May 2014.
	Claimants are expected to do all that is reasonable within full time working hours in any week to look for work and this is not restricted to specific days.

Personal Independence Payment

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what plans he has to penalise companies who have failed to carry out medical assessments for personal independence payments in a timely manner;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the reasons for backlogs of medical assessments for personal independence payments;
	(3)  what steps he is taking to address backlogs of medical assessments for personal independence payments;
	(4)  what time limit he has set for medical assessments for personal independence payments;
	(5)  what compensation is available to those suffering financial hardship as a result of failure to carry out assessments for personal independence payments in a timely manner.

Michael Penning: We are committed to ensuring personal independence payment (PIP) claimants receive high quality, objective, fair and accurate assessments. Since the introduction of PIP new claims in April 2013, we have been closely monitoring all aspects of the process.
	As personal independence payment (PIP) is a new benefit, processes are currently bedding in. Our latest analysis is telling us that the end-to-end claimant journey is taking longer than expected. We are working closely with the assessment providers to ensure that they are taking all necessary steps to improve performance, speed up the process and ensure claimants receive a satisfactory experience. We are also seeking to ensure that all the steps in the process run as smoothly as possible and that there are no barriers in our processes and systems that contribute to claims taking longer than necessary to progress.
	While there are no statutory (legal) requirements to complete action on a claim to PIP within a specified time, we have set both personal independence payment assessment providers a target for the length of time to complete assessments of 30 working days.
	Any delays experienced in the new claims process will not affect the date from which claimants are paid; all successful claims will be paid from the date the claim was initially made or the date the qualifying period is met, whichever is the later.
	As for the administration of all benefits, a claimant is free to complain about the service they have received from the Department for Work and Pensions. Complaints about the service received from our assessment providers should be made direct to the relevant assessment provider. A complaint may result in a special payment if the claimant has experienced unfair treatment or suffered financially.
	The Department has robust expectations for provider performance and contracts include a full set of service level agreements setting out expectations for service delivery, including quality of assessments and the number of days to provide advice to the Department. Officials meet regularly with both assessment providers to discuss performance. The contracts include a range of remedies and failure to meet contractual obligations will result in the Department applying service credits in line with the contract.

Personal Independence Payment

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the average waiting time for applicants for the personal independence payment (PIP) in each region of the UK is between submission of the DS1500 form and the date of receipt of the first payment after an assessment by each assessment provider;
	(2)  what the average waiting time for applicants for the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in each region of the UK is between submission of the PIP2 form and the date of the face-to-face PIP assessment from each assessment provider;
	(3)  what the average waiting time for applicants for the personal independence payment (PIP) in each region of the UK is between submission of the PIP2 form and the date of receipt of the first payment after an assessment from each assessment provider.

Michael Penning: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Liverpool, West Derby (Stephen Twigg), on 5 March 2014, Official Report, column 850W.
	In order to manage the gap between personal independence payment go-live and the first release of Official Statistics in spring 2014, we are assessing whether we can release some further information. If the quality assurance of this information shows that it is sufficiently robust and reliable then we will publish it via ad-hoc statistical releases.

Personal Independence Payment

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 13 March 2014, Official Report, column 318W on the Personal Independence Payment, what assumptions have been made by his Department while preparing the budget for the Personal Independence Payment scheme; and what estimate he has made of the number of people who will receive the (a) enhanced and (b) standard rate mobility component of the personal independence payment in (i) 2014-15, (ii) 2015-16 and (iii) 2016-17.

Michael Penning: The latest forecasts of benefit expenditure on personal independence payment (PIP) were published on 27 of March 2014.
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-expenditure-and-caseload-tables-2014
	The expenditure estimates are determined by the migration timetable for reassessment and the distribution of new awards between the different rates, including nil awards. The other key input is the monetary value of the standard and enhanced rate of each component of PIP, which are set at the equivalent DLA rates.
	The following table shows estimates of the number of people aged 16 to 64 who will be eligible for the standard and enhanced rate of mobility of personal independence payment in 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17. These estimates are consistent with autumn statement 5 December 2013, Official Report, columns 1101-1113 forecasts. They will be updated in due course.
	
		
			 Personal independence payment caseload, aged 16-64 
			  2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 
			 Standard rate of mobility 120,000 250,000 430,000 
			 Enhanced rate of mobility 100,000 220,000 390,000 
			 Source: DWP modelling. Estimates are annual averages and have been rounded to the nearest 10,000.

Social Security Benefits

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many requests for reconsideration of an employment and support allowance decision have been submitted since mandatory reconsideration came into effect on 28 October 2013;
	(2)  what the average waiting time for a decision for a reconsideration of an employment and support allowance decision has been since 28 October 2013;
	(3)  what the average waiting time for a decision for a reconsideration of a jobseeker's allowance decision has been since 28 October 2013;
	(4)  how many requests for reconsideration of an employment and support allowance decision have been subject to a decision since 28 October 2013;
	(5)  how many requests for reconsideration of a jobseeker's allowance decision have been made since 28 October 2013;
	(6)  how many requests for reconsideration of a jobseeker's allowance decision have been subject to a decision made since 28 October 2013.

Michael Penning: While mandatory reconsideration data is being collected, it is not sufficiently robust and reliable to make available.
	The Department is looking into what can be published. The data will need to be validated in order to ensure that it satisfies the relevant standards.

Social Security Benefits: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of changes in the number of nationals of other EU countries accessing benefits in the Peterborough City Council area following changes to (a) the habitual residence test and (b) the minimum earnings threshold; and if he will make a statement.

Esther McVey: The Department does not currently hold this information.
	While we check the immigration status of benefit claimants to ensure the benefit is paid properly and to prevent fraud, traditionally that information has not been collected as part of the payment administrative systems.
	However, the Government is looking at ways to reform the current administrative system under universal credit that will record nationality and immigration status of migrants who make a claim.

Telephone Services

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department's proposed Help and Support for Separated Families co-ordinated telephone network is in place; and what processes his Department has put in place to monitor and evaluate its effectiveness in promoting collaborative parenting in the interests of children.

Steve Webb: The HSSF initiative has funded four organisations which provide telephone support for separating and separated families so that their agents can be trained in delivering appropriate messages about the benefits of collaborative parenting. These organisations are: Relate; Family Lives; the National Youth Advocacy Service; and Wikivorce.
	Representatives from all participating organisations have received tailored training and they are now cascading that training to their agents. We expect full roll-out by the end of April 2014.
	We are currently considering a variety of evaluation approaches, including call listening, ‘mystery shopping exercises and a satisfaction survey.

Work Programme

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of the cost of paying a second attachment fee for each person who is transferred from Newcastle College to new providers of the Work Programme.

Esther McVey: The information is not available as it is too early in the procurement process.

Work Programme: North West

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of former jobseeker's allowance claimants moving into work from the Work Programme in the Merseyside, Halton, Cumbria and Lancashire contract area started work on (a) a full-time, (b) a part-time, (c) a zero hours and (d) an apprenticeship contract.

Esther McVey: The information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Figures published by the Office for National Statistics suggest that most job opportunities being created in the recovery are full-time and permanent. The number of people in work has risen by more than 450,000 in the last year. Within this full-time employment has risen by 430,000 and part-time employment by 29,000, while the number of people in temporary jobs has fallen, meaning the vast majority of the rise is full-time and permanent jobs.

Housing: Prices

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress he has made in introducing a pilot scheme for compensating households affected by house price depreciation near large infrastructure developments; and if he will make a statement.

Nicholas Boles: At the Budget, we announced that we will launch a government funded, staged pilot for passing a share of the benefits of development directly to individual households.
	Our development benefits pilot is not a direct compensation scheme associated with housing price depreciation near large infrastructure developments. Rather than households bringing forward claims for compensation, we are testing a model where the benefits of housing development are directly shared with households in the local area. This would be in the form of financial payments according to a fixed formula.
	Work is under way to develop the scheme, including further research and evaluation of the approach and we expect to ask for expressions of interest for pilot schemes later this year.

Local Government

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of local councillors who will resign as a result of new arrangements to allow the press and public to film local authority public meetings; and if he will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: None. Council meetings are public meetings which already can be reported by the press. We are merely reforming the access rules to allow the press and public to report such meetings through digital and social media. It will help bring greater awareness of the good work that councillors do for their local communities.
	I would observe that the cause of openness in council meetings was championed by Margaret Thatcher, in her maiden speech to this House. As a backbencher, she successfully introduced a Private Members' Bill—the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960—to open up meetings to the press and public, spurred on by the practice of the print unions getting Labour councillors to kick out journalists from council meetings who had crossed picket lines.
	While that the 1960 Act did not expressly permit filming, I note from perusing the Bill Committee Hansard that Mrs Thatcher was firmly of the view that broadcast journalists should have the same rights as other members of the press and public (Official Report, Standing Committee C, 13 April 1960). We are updating those analogue rights for a digital age.

Non-domestic Rates

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the extent to which firms in each region will be economically disadvantaged as a result of the Government's decision to delay the revaluation of business rates; and if he will publish a list of firms likely to be so disadvantaged.

Brandon Lewis: The Valuation Office Agency published their high level estimates of the impacts of a revaluation in 2015 on 12 November 2012. Their analysis suggests that around 800,000 premises would have seen a real terms increase in their rates at a 2015 revaluation compared with around 300,000 seeing a decrease. A copy of that analysis, including which sectors would have been hardest hit by a 2015 revaluation, is available in the Library of the House.

Private Rented Housing

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to better protect the rights of private sector tenants from irresponsible landlords.

Kris Hopkins: The Government is committed to a better private rented sector that offers security, stability and decency. We are already changing the law to require all letting agents to join Government approved redress schemes which will allow tenants to seek compensation where they are the victims of bad practice, such as being charged hidden fees.
	To encourage greater understanding of tenants' rights, we will shortly publish a new ‘How to Rent’ guide for tenants. We are also developing a model tenancy agreement to help tenants achieve greater security of tenure when needed, and a code of practice on property management.
	The Government has provided £6.7 million to a number of local authorities to help them tackle rogue landlord activity.
	We are also encouraging local authorities to use their existing powers to improve standards. They already have wide powers to tackle rogue landlord activity and poor property conditions and to encourage their use.
	Through the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 the current £5,000 cap on fines for certain housing and planning offences will be removed and rogue landlords will be liable to potentially unlimited fines. Where the fine is currently capped at less than £5,000, the maximum fine will be quadrupled.
	Finally, we published a discussion document on 24 February, inviting views on how property conditions in the private rented sector could be improved. Closing date for comments was 28 March. We are now considering the proposals we have received. We will announce the outcome of our review in the summer.

Private Rented Housing: Rents

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment he has made of the accuracy of the ONS index of rental prices; and what recent assessment he has of the changes in the cost of private renting in Slough since 2010.

Kris Hopkins: The Office for National Statistics responded quickly to the need for better data by developing the quarterly Index of Private Housing Rental Prices, first published in June 2013 and dating back to January 2005 for England.
	Currently the Office for National Statistics is consulting users of the index to identify improvements. The index is produced with a robust methodology, which is published and is based on extensive administrative data on rental values including both ongoing and newly agreed tenancy agreements. Once the methodology is further tested and assessed, and the publication meets user needs, the Index of Private Housing Rental Prices will be assessed against the Code of Practice to achieve National Statistic status.
	The index is available for Great Britain and its constituent countries; however it is not available at local authority district level. According to most recent figures the average cost of privately renting housing in England increased by 1.0% in the 12 months to December 2013—a fall in real terms.

Trade Unions

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his Department is (a) undertaking or (b) plans to undertake a review of the check-off union subscription provision.

Brandon Lewis: As I indicated in my answer of 13 September 2013, Official Report, column 884W, Ministers in this Department do not believe it is appropriate for public resources to be used to support the collection and administration of membership subscriptions and believe is an outdated and unnecessary 20th century practice.
	It is also unsatisfactory that some trade unions collect the political levy via check-off, but make no attempt to inform would-be members that the political levy is optional, or even mention the right to opt out on their membership forms. It is the view of Ministers that this is a misleading and dubious marketing practice through omission.
	I can confirm that we are taking further steps to review such practices.

Bank Services

Karl McCartney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what future plans the Government has to utilise funds from the unclaimed life policies or dormant bank accounts.

Sajid Javid: On 27 March the Government published a Review of the Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Act 2008, which set out the Government's view on the existing schemes set up in the legislation.
	The Government currently has no plans to use funds from unclaimed life insurance policies, but keeps all policy under review.

Business: Government Assistance

Julie Elliott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he had with investors in renewable energy before the changes to the Enterprise Investment Scheme on tax breaks for companies benefiting from the renewables obligation.

David Gauke: Budget 2014 announced that companies benefiting from renewables obligation certificates (ROCs) and/or the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme will be excluded from the venture capital schemes, including the enterprise investment scheme.
	This change ensures the venture capital schemes continue to support smaller and growing businesses in a targeted and effective way. The Government consulted extensively with stakeholders when similar action was taken to exclude companies benefitting from feed-in tariffs from the venture capital schemes in 2011.
	Further information on the detail of the change will be published shortly, ahead of the publication of an impact assessment and legislation.

Children: Day Care

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on the digital inclusion implications of requiring online accounts for new childcare proposals announced in Budget 2014;
	(2)  on what systems the online account required for the new childcare proposals announced in Budget 2014 will be implemented; and who is responsible for the implementation of those proposals;
	(3)  what discussions he has had with the Government Digital Service on the integration of the new online childcare accounts into gov.uk.

Nicky Morgan: Tax-free childcare will be hosted on the Government Digital Service (GDS) Gov.uk website alongside other Government digital services. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have overall responsibility for the implementation of these services, in partnership with National Savings and Investments (NS and I) who will operate the accounts.
	The GDS are leading the Government's work to link digital inclusion into policy programmes and digital services. HMRC have directly consulted with GDS who have been involved in the design of the process and the creation of the solution for tax-free childcare.
	The Government will continue to talk with a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders to ensure that tax-free childcare is as simple and secure as possible for parents to access and use.

Dover Priory Station

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment HM Revenue and Customs has made of the economic benefits that new parking facilities at Dover Priory Railway Station would provide to the local area.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs has made no assessments of the economic benefits that new parking facilities at Dover Priory Railway Station would provide to the local area.

Dover Priory Station

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings HM Revenue and Customs has conducted with Network Rail on the development of new parking facilities at Dover Priory railway station in the last six months.

David Gauke: No meetings have taken place between HM Revenue and Customs and Network Rail regarding the development of new parking facilities at Dover Priory railway station in the last six months. However, Network Rail have been in contact with Mapeley as owner/managers of the site.

Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation

Graham Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the number of compensation cases which have been miscalculated by the Equitable Life Payment Scheme.

Sajid Javid: There have been no miscalculations as a result of any errors in the calculation methodology. 11 cases have, however, been recalculated as a result of new information supplied by the policyholder.

Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation

Graham Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many appeals made to the Equitable Life Payment Scheme (a) have been decided and (b) are awaiting resolution.

Sajid Javid: Out of the over 800,000 payments that have been made, a total of 495 cases have been submitted to the Independent Review Panel to date. 477 have been resolved and 18 are in the process of being resolved.

Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation

Graham Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) highest, (b) lowest and (c) average additional award paid following a successful appeal made to the Equitable Life Payment Scheme is.

Sajid Javid: Out of the nine successful appeals by non-annuitants following receipt of new input data, the highest, lowest and average additional payments were:
	(a) £5,230.31
	(b) £32.91
	(c) £1,891.51
	In addition two annuitants have made successful appeals. The total value of the payments made to them will depend on the duration on their annuity.

Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation

Graham Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total amount is in additional payments made by the Equitable Life payment scheme as a result of successful appeals to date; and what proportion that amount is of the total compensation awarded.

Sajid Javid: The value of additional payments made as a result of appeals is £17,023.61. This is 0.0019% of the total value paid by the Scheme to date.
	Two annuitants have made successful appeals, and the total value of the payments made to them will depend on the duration on their annuity.

Excise Duties: Oil

Simon Hart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will publish a list of approved UK tax warehouses for handling oil products;
	(2)  what steps the Government has taken to ensure that the Excise Payment Security System is available to small and medium-sized enterprises in the oil products sector;
	(3)  what studies the Government is undertaking on the future of the vapour recovery scheme; and when conclusions from such studies will be published;
	(4)  what steps the Government has taken to extend the tax warehousing system to inland road fuel terminals throughout the UK;
	(5)  what steps the Government has taken to allow the movement of UK refined oil products to UK oil terminals in coastal tankers on a duty suspended basis.

Nicky Morgan: This information is held on a HMRC database and includes excise identification and approval numbers unique to the traders listed. For taxpayer confidentiality reasons this information is not publically available, and there is no intention to publish it.
	Eligibility criteria for a duty deferment guarantee waiver under the Excise Payment Security System do not apply to or exclude particular sectors. These criteria are published by HMRC, and apply to all applicants.
	HMRC is considering the future of the vapour recovery scheme as part of the wider work programme to determine the appropriate course of action in respect of all their extra-statutory concessions.
	The Government's policy is not to allow duty suspended movements within the UK, this is both for administrative simplicity and to reduce the opportunities for criminal activity and fraud.

Natural Resources

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he plans to take to implement the recommendations of the second State of Natural Capital report on (a) sustaining economic growth and (b) providing public services; and if he will make a statement.

Nicky Morgan: The NCC's report contains a range of recommendations which the Government needs to consider collectively. The Government will respond to the NCC's report once it has fully considered it.

Revenue and Customs

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made on the voluntary exit scheme for staff at HM Revenue and Customs offices in Northern Ireland.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) launched two voluntary exit schemes in November 2013 for people in 21 of its offices and for people in its debt management and banking division. Further schemes were opened in February 2014, for eligible staff at administrative assistant grade across the country and for people affected by the decision to replace inquiry centres with a new service for customers who need extra help.
	There are nine offices or inquiry centres across Northern Ireland where eligible people have been invited to apply for one of the schemes. A summary of the progress at 4 April 2014 can be found in the following table.
	
		
			 Location Invited to apply Applied for VE Offered VE1 Accepted VE Declined VE Pending decision2 
			 Antrim 1 1 1 - - 1 
			 Ballymena 4 3 3 1 - 2 
			 Belfast 17 14 11 5 3 3 
			 Coleraine 10 9 9 3 3 3 
			 Craigavon 11 7 7 3 1 3 
			 Enniskillen 30 24 23 5 17 1 
			 Lisburn 8 7 7 4 1 2 
			 Londonderry 79 66 66 32 34 0 
			 Newry 137 45 45 30 15 0 
			 Total 297 176 172 83 74 15 
			 1 Four of those that applied withdrew their applications after being successful in obtaining a post in the new service for customers who need extra help. 2 A decision is pending for 15 people as they have until 28 April to decide whether or not to accept a formal offer of voluntary exit.

Tobacco

Paul Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of contraband cigarettes entering the UK were originally manufactured in the UK.

David Gauke: The information requested is not available. HM Revenue and Customs records data on seizures of illicit products but this does not include the country of manufacture.